As large local employers, FE Colleges are paying the apprenticeship levy so should look for ways they can reinvest that in training their staff.
Reinvesting your levy
Staff development is one key area where Colleges will want to reinvest their levy. This could be used for business administration, customer service or maintenance and facilities management apprentices employed by the college, but there are also new standards for teachers and mentors.
Teaching Apprenticeship
The apprenticeship standard for Learning and Skills Teacher is currently waiting for a funding band. The assessment plan was published on 5th November 2018 and requires achievement of the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training, which will be familiar to providers and staff alike as it is the same qualification many have already been using.
The assessment plan also requires achievement of a Level 2 Safeguarding qualification, such as the Level 2 Award in Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Young People.
Planning for delivery
Now that the assessment plan is published, Colleges can begin planning for how they will implement delivery to ensure they are reinvesting their apprenticeship levy. Although the funding level is not expected to be confirmed until closer to the end of December, with the detail provided by the assessment plan, Colleges will be able to review how these fit into their staff development plans and look for areas where co-teaching apprentices and other staff can provide savings. For example, Colleges may want to cover some of the safeguarding requirements of the apprenticeship with a wider group of staff, whether they be support staff, or already qualified teaching staff.